🔒Q&A: Railers try to keep community at center ice

The Worcester Railers are Central Massachusetts' only professional hockey team and the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Playing out of Worcester’s DCU Center and heading into their eighth season, the Railers aim to continue to draw fans by being community focused. The fact that much of the team’s staff live in the Worcester area helps fuel the Railers’ ongoing emphasis on community outreach and local charitable initiatives. What kind of fan experience do the Railers want to offer?

Being a community-first organization, we offer a lot of different opportunities to experience hockey, especially for people experiencing their first professional sports game. Being in Worcester, people come from different financial backgrounds, so we're really focused on the family-friendly environment, but also the affordability side of things. It costs so much to go out to Boston to a Bruins game, whereas you can come here with a family of four to eight people for the same price as one ticket to a major league game. That's really what we look to provide, a family-friendly environment where the adults can come enjoy the hockey, but make sure that throughout the game, we have different things for children of all ages to enjoy. We make sure there's something for each member of the family to enjoy and have a good night out. What is the impact of the team’s theme nights? Starting in November, we have our Railers Fight Cancer Night, where our players wear special jerseys that are then auctioned off to support charity. On Nov. 9, we have Autism Acceptance Day, also known as our Sensory Friendly Night, where we don’t use the goal horn and we reduce the music volume to be accommodating to individuals with sensory sensitivities. On Nov. 18 , we have a unique game starting at 10 a.m. for all the Worcester Public School students in elementary and middle school. During the School Day Game, tickets for Worcester Public students are only $5. We make sure students who cannot afford a ticket find funding so they can still attend. It’s one of our loudest games because the kids are so excited, and it is really fun. We have teacher appreciation and nurse appreciation nights, then our Teddy Bear Toss Game on Dec. 20, where every fan brings in a teddy bear and during the first goal of the game, the crowd throws thousands of teddy bears on the ice, which are then donated. This year the stuffed animals will go to Worcester nonprofit Friendly House, with the donations coming just in time for Christmas. What other ways do you engage with community partners? We actually just wrapped up our September Month of Giving. That was a very cool initiative where each of our 24 staff members was given $1,000 to donate to the Central Massachusetts charity of their choosing. It was not just check writing; each staff member gave a day of volunteering at their chosen organization. For me, I chose the Friendly House. Growing up in this area, I knew kids who did not have access to the support I had, and that struck a chord with me. We have October Overtime, where nonprofits can fill out a form to receive a $5,000 donation, with the organization who gets the most votes on our site receiving the funds. It gives nonprofits and fans a voice. During our Nonprofit Ticket Draft, we give nonprofits 850 tickets their employees can use or they can give to families in need. Inflation and workforce shortages have taken a toll on Worcester businesses. How are the Worcester Railers faring? We’re as strong as ever. In fact, we have the largest front office we have ever had. Being from here, I have seen Worcester grow in ways I never thought it would. Sure, we have our ups and downs, but it is a testament to the city we have become a hotspot destination. I am a very proud Worcester guy. We are doing great at the Railers, and we are excited for the new season. What are your top priorities this season? It's all about making experiences accessible. The biggest fulfillment I get is when someone comes up to me and we were able to donate tickets to them or help them out in another way. We run our Skate to Success Program, where we try to get every fourth grader from Worcester Public Schools out to our practice arena and teach them how to skate. I love opening up those experiences to children and being in a role where I can make a difference in someone else's life. This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Sloane M. Perron.